Improving Photography

No one could be more surprised than me when I went to my new Etsy Shop and found that I had made the Treasury for the second time. I only had been on the web 2 days when WaLa! (voila!) Also my daughter designed me a lovely banner for the new shop. Take a hop on over and take a peek!

Lesley Payne picked up one of my copper necklaces. The one with the dichrotic fused glass pendant. I had just opened the shop on Thursday and made the Treasury on Friday. “Slap my face and call me chicken” (smiles).
• Pounce into a Treasury!



I answered http://jenniferprid.com/ offer of flat-bottomed marbles. She sweetly sent me a dozen, I felt so blessed. Thanks Jennifer. I couldn’t wait to play with them. I made a bracelet right away. My sweet husband made a jig so I could form wire for the backing. I am so pleased with the results.






This is what my table looks like while I play. I don’t call it work, though it is, because I love creating beautiful things, be it jewelry or watercolor. I had an awesome class on Friday. Everyone was so glad to be out from under the snow.





apple crate that I kept it, of course, because I just knew I would find a good use for it. I still don’t have the results I am desiring. It may be that I don’t know how to use my new camera. I plan to go to a class this Thursday for help.

I have been so disappointed with my photos. I ask myself why can’t my photos be as sharp and bright as LoriAnderson.com. (smiles) My daughter has been as concerned about my photos as I have. She sent me a web site to go to with instructions on how to make a Photo Light Box http://www.thadalende.com/ . Here are the steps I took .The web site calls for a cardboard box, but I happened to have a glorified apple crate that I had. I kept it, of course, because I just knew I would find a good use for it.


I still don’t have the results I am desiring. It may be that I don’t know how to use my new camera. I plan to go to a class this Thursday for help.

Be Blessed

TALKING BACK

I have a feeling you all have had the experience of trying at least to talk back to a computer. That is what I have been doing the better part of this week. I was trying to set up a new Etsy Shop just to list my copper jewelry Well they won’t put two accounts on the same email. Well on and on. At last I made in late Monday evening, much too tired to post anything as yet but my new Etsy Shop will be http://coppercandyjules.etsy.com.
I have been doing some experiments with my little 60 year old hand-me-down kiln . I just fly by the seat of my pants. First I was trying to expand on something I noticed. Copper does not melt. So I made charms of glass with copper wire designs inside. A success!



Another experiment was slumping glass. I know that porcelain melts at a much higher temperature than glass. I wanted to slump a piece of glass to decorate a bracelet. So I built a base in the bottom of a small porcelain cup and a piece of resist paper and laid the glass on the top and let it slump. A success!



Be Blessed

Daughter Saturday

I had a lovely Saturday! My daughter came down to spend the day with me. She wasn’t in the mood to go very much further on the road. I suggested going into Fort Worth to the Brazos Collections for bead shopping. Turns out she had already spent her inheritance the day before on beads. So we went to http://Michael’s. I haven’t been there in years. But they have a nice bead collection, all be it all from China. Seems like, you just can’t buy anything made in the good old USA anymore. Anyway I found some copper chain, which I had thought I would be unable to find. That pleased me as making chain is a pain in the patootie. Smiles. My daughter made me a beautiful pair of earrings. She used some of my gold filled wire and two from a string of beads that I gifted her with. I love them


I have been working on my Bead Soup piece. My daughter taught me another way to make loops or rings whatever they are called. They are way harder than I have been doing but so much more beautiful and professional looking. She also taught me how to make the rosier bead chain. Awesome. Also she taught me how to make a list of Blogs I follow for my front page. Well it’s not there yet as I have found a ton of new blogs in the Bead Soup adventure. FUN
I thought I would show you my work table. I was at Office Depot the other day and found 5 of these cardboard divided display boxes. I have used them to organize my supply closet. I have another bookcase type cardboard display that just fits in my supply closet that I have been using for 30 years. I was very pleased with me. The table is from Southern Methodist University, one of the original library tables my husband got for pennies when he worked there. Smiles



I recieved my Bead Soup the other day My pardner is Norma Truvey of moonlightfantseas . She does the most incredible bead work. She sent me some of the most lovely lampwork beads Jullian Cannon and a vile of bead soup which had the smalest beads I have ever seen and glass work novelities. I do have a chalenge which I love.I never give up on a challenge smiles

I got a electronic piano keyboard at Christmas. I am determined to work as hard on my piano as I did on watercolor. So far I am doing very well I can play several pieces with both hands not well but passable. When I started watercolor painting my friend and I painted for several hours everyday Go to htpp://MagpieTreasureTrove.etsy.com to view some of the results of long and expensive hours of study. Be Blessed

ONE COULD GET DIZZY

It’s time I was in bed but I am entranced with all the blogs that I follow. Lori Andersons tutorial on teaching Jewelry Making, beadingbymalindekoning.blogspot.com on Getting Your Work Published in magazines, Painting With fire, enameling beads, and Art Glass.com, on making Lamp Work Beads, and A Bead A Day, How To Make Jewelry. You could get dizzy. Smiles
GOOGLE IMAGE

I have my Bead Soup offering ready to mail. I also tucked a surprise packet in one of my wire wrapped marbles in and one of my clay works and some cloisonné in just to make her happy.


I received my packet from my partner. Norma Truvey of http://moonlitfantaseas.blogspot.com I was so surprised as I thought the beads were not going out until the 28th. The beads are beautiful I can tell you I have a challenge. The colors are yummy.


My best friend of 45 years came and spent a week with me We had lots of laughs, but I did not get too much accomplished.
Another friend came over and we made beads from fabric and paper










This week is my sister-in-law’s birthday and she loves cats. I found a packet of kitten charms. So I made her a necklace and earrings. All in all it has been a wonderful week


Be Blessed

Exploring New Ideas

We went to Graham, Texas, as I told you last week. While there my friend took me to some antique shops to help me find marbles as I have lost mine. Smiles. I wanted to work out an idea that I had. I thought I could wire wrap the marbles. I used copper wire to wrap some of the marbles and silver wire to wrap the others. I have been creating copper jewelry and using marbles as my beads. I could not find copper chain so my husband taught me how to make chain. The process is labor intensive but, well when you have to make do or do without, you do as my grandmother taught me, you punt and learn something new. Take a look at the results.






The bead Soup Party hosted by http:// Lori Anderson had its partner reveal this week. I was wondering what I should send. So I got out the dichotic glass and did some glass fussing. I was happy with some of the pieces and a little disappointed with some of the pieces, But, that is how I learn.




Be Blessed

Copper May Be The New Gold

Hey Hey I have been busy designing copper jewelry this week. I am very pleased with the results. I have been back to the Ace Hardware three times for the #8 copper wire. I am so impressed with it. I also think if we take another look at copper as a purchasing public, copper will become a shining star in the costume jewelry world. What with gold approaching $2.000 per oz., and silver rising to an astounding $30. Per oz. Copper, looks really good to me. I will have to rest from working with #8 gage wire for a while because I am suffering an attack of arthritis in my hand. Heck fire.









Anyway I have also been making Fimo clay. I used my cut crystal for impressions. Well you have to use crystal for something! Right ? Lori Anderson put me to thinking about Lapis. I put gold leaf in the clay to reflect the look of real lapis




I mixed blue and white to marble the turquoise look. I am pleased with the results.




Planning a spring bracelet







This week-end we took a two hour trip to Graham to visit friends. The drive was delightful. The weather was beautiful. Just before the first winter snow and ice storm.


Be Blessed

2011 YEA

I had a most interesting New Years Eve. And I cannot tell you how long it has been since my husband and I have been out on New Year’s Eve. I mean “Out in the dark” smiles. We are normally in bed long before the ball drops. However this year our son’s girl friend from St. Petersburg Russia is here for the holidays. They had a little party and invited my husband and to drop by. There was a couple there who were long time friends of Ira’s (pronounced Eee-ra) smiles. They are in the ministry of helping orphans. Ira works for a ministry who teaches Life Skills to children who have aged out of the orphanage. She is sweet as peas. Anyway while at the party Ira and her friend brought out some of the things they plan to use to raise funds to help the orphans. htpp://comeandsew.org I said I would tell you about them. These little boots are darling and they are all handmade. They are felting and ribbon trim.




They have several items that are handmade used to raise funds for the orphans. Another itwm they have are zipper handbags. My son brought me one when he went to Russia to visit Ira. It comes in a gift bag all unzipped I “exclaimed”Oh he has gone to a garage sale and bought me some zippers!” No he said “When you meet Christ your life is a mess”, but as Christ begins to change you (and you are zipping the purse us a s you say this) You become a useful, (and I was going to say “Vessel”) when one of my students said (An Ol’d Bag) smiles
Image of felt purse



I have been experimenting with #8 and #16 gage copper wire this week. The number 8 is beautiful when shaped into a bracelet. I have a lot to learn but I am willing, because I have gone ballistic over copper. My husband is a Master electrician so he just doesn’t get it.> to him it is just wire but to me it is extraordinary. I see beauty where, well he is just a man.> Erin of htpp://Tesori Trovati Jewelry.com - Treasures Found Artisan Jewelry says “Find beauty is found everywhere”




I made a pair of earrings for my sister-in-love. I used red glass beads and silver chain to create dangle earrings. I put the red glass bead in a pieced earring and attached the chains to them. I was pleased. I had given her a several strand bugle bead necklace with large dangle earring, because she said she liked them, but when she put them on she was over whelmed.


Be Blessed